With home networks, laptops and wireless Internet, you may be among the many who have multiple computers but only one printer. To solve that problem easily you can install a wireless printer in your home network. The printer will have its own IP address. This means each of the computers on your network can then connect and print without having to be attached to the printer itself.

Wireless printer

You can either buy a wireless printer, or take any printer and connect it to your network. The first is easy. These printers already contain a wireless adapter that you can search for from your network. The printer would then need to be "found" by each computer on the network. Install the drivers onto all the computers that will print from this printer. Next, go to "Control Panel" and select "Printers and Faxes." In that window, select the "Add a Printer," and this will bring up the "Add Printer Wizard." You would want to select "Network Printer/ Printer Attached to Another Computer." Then after pressing "Next," you can choose your printer from a list on the screen. Select "Yes" to finish the wizard.

Printer Attached to Router

Your other option, would be to attach a wired printer to a wireless network. Depending on your printer's connection ports, you can run a USB cable or an Ethernet cable from the printer to the router. You will begin the same way as before, by installing the drivers on all the computers. Next, connect the printer to the router. If you have purchased an adapter for your printer, you would need to connect the printer to the adapter, and then the adapter to the router. Reboot the machines, including the printer, and the printer should show up on each computer.

Source:

windows.microsoft: installing a printer on a wireless network

wirelessnetworksource: installing a wireless printer

brighthub: installing a network printer

More Information:

smartcomputing: wireless printers

liutilities: intsall a wireless printer

macforums: how to